Ellen Page takes on ‘Jane Eyre’

'Juno' actress to star in BBC Film's adaptation

Ellen Page is set to play one of English literature’s most famous characters, the eponymous heroine of Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre.”

Alison Owen of Ruby Films, who most recently produced “The Other Boleyn Girl,” is working with BBC Films to develop the new adaptation of Bronte’s classic 19th century romance. It’s the story of a mousy governess who softens the heart of her surly employer Mr. Rochester, only to discover that he’s hiding a terrible secret.

Moira Buffini has written the screenplay. No director is yet attached, but the producers are aiming to set the project up to shoot this fall.

“Jane Eyre” is one of the most adapted novels in English literature, with at least 20 previous film or TV versions. Most recently, the BBC made it into a miniseries that won three Emmys last year. The last bigscreen adaptation, in 1996, was directed by Franco Zeffirelli and starred Charlotte Gainsbourg.